Restricting individuals' access to goods, services, or content based on age has long been considered a useful method for ensuring that minors or adults below a certain age are not provided with access to inappropriate goods, services, or content. For example, individuals are typically required to provide documented proof of age in order to purchase alcohol, or cigarettes, or to access establishments such as bars, nightclubs, and casinos.
The conventional process of displaying photographic proof, however, is not available when providing remote access to the restricted goods, services, or content. For example, social networking web sites such as MySpace.com allow only individuals over the age of 13 to register with the site. Similarly, telephony services, such as 1-900 telephone services typically require that users be over the age of 18. Such services typically require that a potential user affirmatively indicate that they meet or exceed the required age limit. Unfortunately, such methods do not protect against false or mistaken indications of age.